Steve Nicol believes Florian Wirtz produced his best performance in a Liverpool shirt during Wednesday night’s 2-1 Champions League victory over Atletico Madrid.
Liverpool fell behind at Anfield after Marcos Llorente once again found the net against the Reds, but goals from Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister, scored either side of half-time, completed the comeback and secured a winning start to their European campaign.
Although Wirtz is still waiting for his first goal of the season, the German midfielder impressed with his overall contribution. He came close to registering an assist early in the second half when he created an opportunity for Bradley Barcola, only for the Frenchman to miss the target.
Nicol impressed by Wirtz
Speaking on ESPN FC, former Liverpool defender Steve Nicol singled out Wirtz for praise and suggested the performance could be a sign of what is to come from the 23-year-old.
Nicol said that if Wirtz can continue influencing games in the Premier League in the same way he did against Atletico, Liverpool could have plenty to look forward to, describing it as the best display he has seen from the midfielder in a Liverpool shirt.
Wirtz arrived at Anfield under significant pressure following a difficult first season, with expectations high for him to make a bigger impact this campaign. However, there have been encouraging signs recently, particularly in his combination play with Isak.
The German was unfortunate not to collect an assist against Atletico after Barcola failed to finish a chance created by Wirtz.
Liverpool Echo journalist Ian Doyle also noted that Wirtz became increasingly influential as the second half progressed. His statistics highlighted just how involved he was:
– Passes completed: 41/46 — 89%
– Key passes: 3
– Touches: 63
– Duels won: 3
– Tackles won: 2
– Big chances created: 1
Wirtz continues to impress with his movement, creativity and ability to find space, although his goalscoring numbers remain an area for improvement. With only seven goals in his first 53 appearances, questions over his end product are understandable.
If he can maintain his creativity while becoming more clinical in front of goal, Liverpool could have a truly special player on their hands this season.
